The Fables of Xing
by IvyShort
Summary: A drabble collection focusing on Lanfan, Ling and Mei. Almei and Lingfan, mentions of Edwin and Royai.
1. Lingfan Thoughts

**A/N: I WROTE IT! I WROTE LINGFAN! OMG! So proud of myself right now…. It is easier than I expected, though. I should listen to sunarose more often (Though not about her taste in boys….) . And scream in her ear more. Read her Lingfan drabbles- Chiaroscuro. They are rather amazing. **

**So THIS drabble collection will be Lingfan and AlMei, most likely. There's enough EdWin out there to feed an army (Oookay, should've used a different choice of words there) But Lingfan and AlMei are terribly, horribly underappreciated. Dunno which I'll update more, though, so don't kill me if I ignore either RD or this for forever. I forgot to mention- SPOILERS AHEEEAAAD! **

**I'll shut up now. **

Being Emperor of Xing had its drawbacks. Ling had considered the renewed assassination attempts, the distance between him and former friends and the constant tinge of fear covered by respect whenever he entered the room. He had expected that, and trusted that it was worth it. Lanfan would protect him, and she would continue to be his best friend. It would have been worth it, if that was all he had to surrender to become Emperor. What he couldn't put up with was the 50 different noblewomen fawning over him, the 50 new wives all expecting him to spend time with them and not Lanfan, them and not matters of state. Really, he had overlooked that when contemplating pros and cons of being Emperor. Overlooked and tried to forget.

Maybe it would be bearable if he hadn't been to Amestris. There he had seen how people chose who they married, and it was one to one- equivalent exchange, really. One heart for another, and nothing left over. No one in Amestris had 50 wives, nor did most Amestrians want 50 wives. Women were treated fairly in that country. In Xing, noblewomen were still pawns on the chess board, used to entice other lords into marring them for wealth, or status. Only the poor had freedom in Xing, and even then it was limited.

He took a final breath of the cool night air, sighing as he closed the window. Lanfan would yell at him if she found out he had been leaning out of an open window. Was it bad that he wanted her to yell at him- was it greedy that he wanted to hear her voice like it had been in Amestris, before she practically stopped talking instead of calling him 'Emperor Ling'? No, he decided. He would be greedy if he wanted his 50 wives and Lanfan. Greed had never understood why Ling's gaze lingered a second longer on Lanfan than it stayed on anyone else. Greed had welcomed the possibility of 50 women, all his, while Ling was repulsed.

A thousand possibilities ran through his head, each one more absurd than the last. He couldn't step down- who else would take care of Xing? Mei had lost interest in ruling ever since Alphonse came to learn alkahestry. Now she was fantasizing about living in Amestris with Al, Ed and Winry. Even if he did step down, Lanfan would kill him with that blade in her automail for trying to be noble and choose love over power. He would probably be run out of Xing as well. Was that worth it? Was his happiness more important than his country?

There was one thought he avoided entirely- did Lanfan even love him back? Was it just the sense of duty that Fu had pounded into her at such an early age, or did she secretly feel the same way about him? Ling had noticed how quiet she had been, and how much she had avoided even looking at him ever since they returned. At first, he had written it off to grief over Fu's death, but as the months past he began to suspect something else. She was very good at covering up her feelings with her mask and a face set in stone- Lanfan had learned how sometime during their time in Amestris. Maybe she had learned it from that Lt. Riza Hawkeye- that was a face that never displayed emotion.

Maybe someday he'd figure out a tactful way to get rid of all his wives, or gather up the courage to just grab Lanfan and run away, but for now, he was almost as greedy as Greed himself. He couldn't give up his power, and he couldn't give up Lanfan. He was trying to hang onto both of them, but she was slipping away, slowly but surely.

Maybe that was all he was. Maybe all he was was Greed.


	2. Lingfan Beauty

**So, another drabble. I'm getting good at this. **

**I'm sort-of-half-participating in NaNoWriMo (go look it up) but not really, because I like drabbles and "High School" and if I didn't update I would go insane, so NaNoWriMo is sort of extra incentive. **

**Onto the Lingfan love! Tell me if you want some AlMei next.**

"_It's a pity she's so plain, that girl of yours. She certainly won't be attracting any princes with a face like that." _

The cruel words made Lanfan's eyes sting and she felt a lump emerge in her throat. To her dismay, her mother did not react- Yan set down her tea and stayed silent. She did not defend her daughter, and that made Lanfan's eyes sting even more. She turned away from the window that she had been peering into, spying on Yan and the Lady Jing. What was the point if all the sacred information did was make her cry? That was all Lady Jing and her mother ever did, gossip. Lanfan knew that- she spied on them often enough, especially when Lady Jing did not let Ling out, like she hadn't today. Lady Jing had claimed Ling was sick, but something in her eyes had told Lanfan that Lady Jing was lying. It happened often enough.

"Psst, Lanfan, why're you crying?" Lanfan jerked her head up. Ling was inches from her nose, his usual mischievous grin completely missing, a look of concern displayed instead. Lanfan quickly wiped the tears away.

"It's nothing, young lord." Ling sighed at the name, and poked his nose into the window. The cruel conversation drifted to Lanfan's ears, even more cruel than before.

"I mean, I don't understand it, Yan. You are lovely, and your husband is not bad on the eyes either. So why is your daughter so homely?" Lanfan felt the tears sting her eyes again, and hid a sniffle. Yan was quiet a moment before she responded.

"Perhaps she is a late bloomer, Lady Jing."

"But were you?" The voices continued, but Lanfan would hear no more. She dashed away from the window, finally letting the tears flow. That terrible Lady Jing. Was she really so ugly?

She stopped running when she was far enough that she couldn't see the window. Lanfan collapsed gratefully next to the small pond in the corner of the garden. She peered into the glassy water, hoping to see any face but her own. She did not get her wish- the round, still plump cheeks, her beady black eyes, thin lips, and splotchy face, red from the tears. All of it was framed by her messy, unkempt hair.

"Lanfan, you wanna know something? My mom calls everyone ugly. Every single servant is uglier than anything she's ever seen, and a lot of the servants are really pretty. She's just jealous. I think you're pretty, Lanfan." Ling paused, contemplating his statement. "Nah, I think you're beautiful." Lanfan sniffed and looked up at Ling, disbelief etched into her features.

"Stop lying, young lord." She said, wiping away the tears.

"But I'm not! And don't call me young lord. Everyone calls me that, and I hate it." Lanfan looked back onto the glassy surface of the pond. Ling couldn't possibly think she was beautiful.

"…and don't you start that, Lanfan. Your mouth is redder than Mom's even when she's all done up, and your eyes are pretty, like the sky at night when it's all dark and the stars are shining. Yea that's what your eyes are like. Your skin – well, when you aren't crying your eyes out, I hate that – your skin is smooth and even. You're much prettier than my mother. She's just a jealous old hag."

"Young lord, do not speak that way about your mother!" Ling looked down at Lanfan, who was still on the ground. He shook his head and crouched down next to her.

"Nah, it doesn't matter. She's a nasty old hag who only loves herself." Lanfan looked bark at the pond. Somehow, now, she didn't see what she had seen before. So she wasn't perfect- that didn't matter. Next to Ling, she could overlook those faults. Her prince thought she was beautiful, and that was all that mattered.

**So there we go! Not sure how old they are. Use those lovely imaginations of yours. **

**I love sunarose. She 1) Let me use Yan and Jing's names because I was lazy 2) helped me figure out what to compare Lanfan's eyes to and 3) she's just amazing. So go be nice to her and read her stories. **

**Reviews are much appreciated! If you tell me AlMei or Lingfan, I will write AlMei or Lingfan. You could tell me Royai too. But High School is updated weekends. Sadly, this weeked it I have a tumbling clinic, but I might be able to update Sunday. So much jumprope stuff this month- next week I'm off to Abbotsford for a tournament, then week after that is the workshop (two girls are coming to my house- I'M SUUUUPER EXCITED- and all in all, it's a busy month. So yea. REVIEW!**


	3. AlMei Butterflies

**I LOVE VACATIONS! **

**So I decided to give you AlMei. Because you've had enough Lingfan, and AlMei is even less appreciated. Mom is threatening me with making something (This scares me) and I wanted to give you a thanksgiving present! **

…

**No, this doesn't mean I love AlMei more. It just means I wanted to take a swing at it.**

**Set post-manga. (Well, duh. Mei's 15.)**

Al silently thanked Mustang for reopening the trains that ran back and forth through the desert. The desert was one thing when you were a giant suit of armor, and quite a different one when you were a living, breathing teenage boy. Al wondered briefly how Mei had done it at the age of 12. Three whole years ago, now, wasn't it? Al smiled to himself at the prospect of seeing how the young girl had grown and changed. Al would bet all the pairs of socks in his suitcase (23, in case you were wondering. Al had developed a love affair with socks.) that Mei would be taller than Ed. After all, Al was taller than Ed, and Winry had all but stopped growing after the Promised Day. So as long as Mei had at least grown, she was probably taller than Ed, so his many pairs of multicolored socks were safe.

The train whistled as it screeched to grinding halt at the station.

"Welcome to Xing, passengers! Huānyíng lái dào xīng, chéngkè! We hope you have safe travels." Xing. He was finally here.

"Alphonse, hurry up!" Jerso said, grabbing his suitcase and slapping Al good naturedly on the back.

"Yea, right Jerso! I'm coming!" Jerso chuckled.

"Not thinking of a certain young Xingese lady, I hope?" Al blushed furiously.

"No! I'm just excited to see her!" He protested. Jerso and Zampano laughed as Al hefted his suitcase over his shoulder and tried to retain at least an ounce of dignity as he walked unsteadily down the thin aisle. His muscle, though not malnourished and weak, was still not up to the standard of, say, Ed's. Maybe Mei could help him with that too.

He stepped off the train and sighed. The very air of Xing was different than Amestris. Amestris had a tang of the city, but the freshness of a countryside. Xing…Xing smelled like food.

No wonder Ling was always hungry. Al looked around the station. There wasn't much different about the activity of the station- the people were different, but their actions were all the same. There were people running for their trains, people saying tearful goodbyes in a language Al knew only the basics of, people waiting, sitting on benches, eating food…

And a girl- no, young woman- in a pink silk dress with black trimmings and butterflies decorating the lower portion of the skirt. Her hair was much like Al remembered it, except for the braids looped up instead of straight down and the handles of small kunai poking out of her hair buns.

"Alphonse-sama!" Mei Chang was much the same. She was taller, and the last three years had been kind to her. Xiao Mei was still on her shoulder, and the little panda was no different than the last time he saw her.

"Mei!" Al hefted his suitcase and ran the short distance that separated them, engulfing her in a hug. "I missed you!" He said brightly. Mei blushed furiously and Al turned his attention to Xiao Mei, who was, as always, dutifully sitting on Mei's shoulder. "I missed you, too, Xiao Mei!" Xiao Mei squealed happily, enjoying the attention.

"How are Winry and Edward?" Mei asked, grinning like mad.

"Engaged!"

"Really?"

"Yup! Ed proposed right before he left. Recited the law of equivalent exchange, apparently." Al sighed. "Brother. Even though he isn't an alchemist anymore, it sure is drilled into his skull."

"Oh! Speaking of that, Alphonse-sama, I got you these!" Mei held out a small wrapped package. Inside lay ten brand new knives much like Mei's. Al looked at Mei, shocked.

"Mei, you didn't have to…" Mei's smile cut him off.

"Every beginning alkahestry student has to have designated alkahestric markers!"

"Thanks Mei!" They just stood there for a while, beaming at each other. Jerso broke the spell as he muttered 'lovebirds' to Zampano. Both Al and Mei blushed furiously and looked down at the floor.

To think both of them had been more nervous than anything ten minutes ago as they waited to see each other again.

**:3 That was so fun to write. I love AlMei. We'll be back to HS, Royai and Lingfan next.**

**Review pleaaaaaase! Happy Thanksgiving! GREAT holiday. Terrible dishes. **


	4. AlMei Home

It seemed that, no matter how far Al walked, he couldn't find a place that truly felt like a home. Encased in a metal shell of a body, there was nothing he could use to treasure a home but the sight, sound and smell.

Al didn't know why the Rockbell residence didn't offer him comfort like it did to his brother. Winry and Granny Pinako gave Al a certain level of comfort, but still Al was always guarded.

_Come home once in a while for supper. _Al wanted to go home for supper more than anything in the world, but the home of the tiny surviving Rockbell family was not home to Al.

Funnily enough, as he carried the little Xingese girl that had attacked Edward and him before, Al felt more at home than he had in a long time. He didn't even know her name, and yet he felt secure around the small girl and her bear-cat. Al was in the middle of a fight for his life, back to back with an enemy that he had fought and feared, pleading him to at least take her and run.

Al didn't want to sacrifice his home. Not ever.

**200 words. Exactly. Dunno why I wrote that. **


	5. Meet Your Fiance

Princess Mei Chang of Xing was perhaps the most difficult and annoying little girl Ling Yao had ever had the misfortune to meet.

His half-sister was five-and-three-quarters and _very irritatingly proud of it. _It was one thing when _he _had been five-and-three-quarters – that was much more important. He had been better when he had been five-and-three-quarters, much better than she was. He had been smart and cunning, not loudmouthed and whiny. When he had complained, something had been seriously wrong with his life.

Vegetables, for example.

The eight year old prince scowled, his childish brow creasing in a way no child's ever should.

"Lanfan!"

His bodyguard, only several months senior to himself, immediately revealed herself, jumping nimbly off the rafters and onto the floor. "Yes, Young Lord?"

"We're getting rid of Mei. I'm sick of her."

"Young Lord," Lanfan began quietly. "Isn't it best to simply accept her for who she is? She's only five, after all."

"I was cooler when I was five!"

Lanfan sighed. "Of course you were."

~*Break*~

Mei Chang was not a happy little girl. She was, at the moment, experiencing what her nursemaid had labeled "Princess fits", and no one in close proximity to the young princess was happy in the least.

"No bedtime!" she protested, resisting the nightgown being pulled over her head.

"Princess, tomorrow is a very important day! You have to go to bed now, or you'll be sleepy tomorrow!"

The warnings went straight over the little girl's head. "I won't be tired! I'll be all awake, I promise, but no bedtime! I'm not sleepy!"

Her lip trembled dangerously. The struggling servant gave up and handed the nightgown to Mei's governess.

"Princess, you are bringing shame to your country and your clan by acting in this disrespectful manner! When a princess is told to go to bed, she does so without complaint, no matter if she is tired or not!"

Mei folded her arms across her chest. "But I don't want to go to bed."

The nightgown finally made it over her head, and Mei reluctantly slipped her arms in the sleeves.

Her governess smiled gratefully, leading the young girl to a bed much too large for a five year old.

Mei would not budge. "Two stories tonight."

"One, princess."

"Two."

"One."

"Two!"

"One."

"Two!"

"One."

"TWO!"

The governess sighed in defeat. "I'll finish the one I started last night, and then I will tell you another one, princess."

Mei surveyed the harassed woman with a childish pout on her lips before reluctantly nodding and climbing into bed. Clutching her stuffed panda close, she leaned in to hear a new, exciting tale from her master storyteller.

"The princess one, the princess one!" she demanded.

The governess raised an eyebrow. "We just read that one last night, princess."

Mei's eyes narrowed. "I want it again."

The older woman sighed but began to tell the story, words illustrated by Mei's colorful imagination. "There was once a beautiful princess that lived in a faraway kingdom…"

_Inside, Mei felt certain that the handsome prince in the story was just waiting to find her. _

"Princess, it's time to get up. Princess, the Amestrians are here, and your brother has a surprise for you."

Mei didn't move for several minutes, feigning sleep until the promise of a surprise from Ling was too much to put off. She cracked one eye open to reveal a grinning brother mere inches from her face.

"Guess what, little sister? You're getting married today!"

Ling immediately received a stinging slap on the cheek. "Nuh-uh! I have to fall in love first, and I'm too little to do that!"

"Says who?"

"Says the stories, Ling!"

He folded his arms across his chest. "Stories are wrong! Father said that you're gonna marry that prince of Amestris, Alphos or something!"

She glowered at him. "Who's Alphos?"

Ling scowled. "I just told you that, stupid."

"I'm not stupid! You're stupid!"

"Stupid!"

"Stupider!"

"Stupidest!"

"Stupiderest!"

The maid nearby rolled her eyes and smiled.

~*Break*~

"I don't wanna be here!"

"Brother, stop complaining. It's really a lovely place, don't you think?"

"Don't care. I don't wanna be here."

Trisha looked down at her sons. "Boys, be quiet a bit, please. We wouldn't want to scare off all of Xing with your bickering."

Alphonse frowned. "Mommy, am I really getting married?"

Trisha bit her lip and crouched down to be face to face with her son. "It's not going to happen for a long time, Al. Don't worry. You're only meeting the girl you're marrying today."

"But I don't want to ever get married, Mommy."

Trisha smiled reassuringly. "Your father and I met each other when we were engaged. Look at your brother and Winry, too. Do you think they'll be happy?"

"Well, if they don't bleed to death first…"

"Exactly. It's okay, Al. If your father and I are happy, and your brother and Winry _will _– as soon as they both outgrow this violent stage they're in at the moment – be happy too, then who's to say you and Princess Mei won't be too?"

Suddenly a tiny orange blur raced across the room, its black braids bouncing off its back.

"HA! You're getting maaarried, you're getting maaaarrieeedd!" The family of the great King of Amestris' heads swiveled simultaneously. A young Xingese boy stood in the doorway, laughing. He looked Ed's age (though definitely much taller) and just as rambunctious.

"MEANIE! XIAO MEI HATES YOU, LING!" screamed the orange blur, finally slowing to reveal a tiny five year old hugging a stuffed panda tightly.

Ling laughed. "Xiao Mei's not real, stupid!"

He was gone, then, and the little stranger was left alone in the room full of foreigners.

"Hi!" exclaimed Al, crouching down. "What's your name?"

Her lip trembled. "M-Mei Chang."

Behind them, Trisha coughed lightly. "Princess Mei Chang, maybe?"

The little girl nodded uncertainly, holding her panda ever closer. Trisha's smile reappeared. "Meet your fiancé."

The trembling lip jutted out even further. Al smiled at her and picked up one of her braids. "I like your hair. My brother does it sort of like this too."

The faintest hint of a blush appeared on Mei's cheeks.

"Do you like your dress? It's pretty."

She shook her head. "Pink is better."

He leaned in closer. "Want to know a secret?" he whispered. Mei nodded furiously. "I don't want to get married."

Mei grinned. "Really? Ling told me I was gonna marry somebody today, but I didn't believe it!"

Trisha smiled at the young pair, then looked down at her elder son. "Well, Ed, what do you think?"

Ed scowled. "I think that my brother doesn't want to get married."

Her gaze returned to Mei and Al. "Maybe not. Not yet."

~*Break*~

Alphonse had to leave eventually, of course, and when he did, Mei waved him goodbye in a brand new, Amestrian-style pink ballgown.

As they disappeared over the horizon, Ling's head popped down from the doorway. His ponytail dangled down nearly a foot after the crown of his head.

"Are you in loooooove, meimei?" he taunted.

"Ew! Nuh-uh, Ling! You're in love with your guard, that Lanfan girl!"

Ling colored bright red. "Take that back, little midget girl!"

"Nope!"

"Then I'll make you take it back!" His head turned rightside up and his feet touched the ground instead of the ceiling before he managed to begin chasing the tiny princess.

Mei was grinning as she dashed just out of Ling's reach.

Maybe her knight in shining armor would turn out to be a prince.

How could she know? She was only five-and-three-quarters.

**This was written from inspiration from Ceruleansan's "Meet Your Fiance" on DA. Lovely pic. Go favorite it. **


	6. Almei Safety

Mei Chang could not remember a time that she did not work hard to earn something. Life in the Chang clan was tooth and nail – it hardly mattered that she was the emperor's daughter. A lofty, fifteen word title meant little when the people of her clan were starving.

She fought tooth and nail to get to Amestris, and poured her heart and soul into finding the famed Fullmetal Alchemist. Maybe Edward Elric could help her. Maybe then she could sit back and know that her clan was safe and cared for, that they would not have to scan the horizon every day for fear of the stormy season hitting early. Of course, Edward Elric was a puny runt with a nasty temper, and Mei's dreams soon crumbled.

Somehow, she stayed. Though poor, her clan was not without honor. Her people would be proud of her nobility when she returned (though she prayed fervently that it would not be empty-handed). Without something to prove her efforts, she would not be able to pray at her mother's shrine. He wanted to learn alkahestry, but the shame crashed down on her when he could not grasp the fundamentals. Mei did not sleep that night, but sat up, hands folded in prayer to her ancestors as she begged forgiveness. Obviously she was a very poor teacher. Alphonse almost interrupted and told her to go to sleep. He wasn't quite sure what had stopped him, but he could not lift his hand to place on her shoulder. He returned to his book, a tiny sigh echoing through his armor.

She was thirteen now – marrying age among many Xingese, the age her mother was when the Emperor took her as his fourty-seventh bride. _Never mind that,_ she kept reminding everyone who would listen, _She would wait_. He had promised to come visit her soon, and it didn't matter one bit to her if she was an old maid by that time. Mei would wait for him. Ling teased her mercilessly, set her up with obnoxious young men that made her skin crawl, and tried desperately for her to see the reason in the situation. Alphonse was still several years away from making the long journey to Xing, and it did not reflect well if his closest sister was a _wild child_.

Eventually he let it be, but not before telephoning the Elric household several times, urging Al to come as soon as he was strong enough.

She grew up in the three years before he came. Her childish frame was no more, replaced by that of a slim, muscular young woman who obviously did not lead a soft life. Her hair, too, was different, wound in two sensible buns without the dangling braids. Mei was every inch of sixteen, and Al almost didn't recognize her when she crashed into him in the train station.

Mei was amazed at how easy it was to fall for him all over again as they sparred and shared theories. She turned out to be a better teacher than she had been in the shed awaiting the Promised Day, and Al was grateful to have her. Sometimes being dragged around a marketplace balancing six different baskets of her purchases was trying, but her exuberance always rubbed off and Al found himself making half of the purchases instead of grumbling behind her.

He was always careful not to interrupt her prayer, but enjoyed listening to the soft, melodious Xingese tumble out of her mouth. It was always the same, too. _Ancestors, watch over my clan. Give it a good harvest. Grant me wisdom and strength, and the pathway to enlightenment._ He recalled Mei mentioning something about the Xingese religions in the past, and that she meditated at the end and beginning of each day. Al took to doing it with her most mornings, enjoying the tranquility of the capital before the hustle and bustle of the day truly began.

Mei decided they would _vacation _in the Chang clan the month before the rainy season hit. A week into hot, back breaking labor, he fell asleep eating dinner and a woke to a wrinkled old woman with wispy white hair and a hunched back patting his face with a wet cloth.

"Not used to the heat, sir?"

Al tried to pull himself up to a sitting position, but the old woman kept him down with surprising force. "Well, Amestrian? Are we overworking you?"

"No, no! Nothing like that!" he protested, shaking his head. The old woman grunted and let him sit up, turning away to dunk the cloth in a nearby dish.

"You don't fool me for a second, foreigner. Only the Changs can work this hard on such small stomachs and not faint of exhaustion," she muttered, slapping the cloth back on his forehead. "_Nainai _may be old, but she's not stupid. Mei must have told you that you were going on vacation, huh?"

Surprised, Al nodded.

The old woman smiled, several gaps in her teeth obvious. "She did the same thing with Ling."

"Does vacation mean a different thing in Xing?" Al asked sheepishly.

"Only to Mei," sighed the old woman, rising from the floor slowly and closing the rickety shutters. "The fields are the only place she doesn't have to worry about figures in the shadows. She can let down her guard and work alongside common people."

A lazy bird chirped softly outside the door, and the wrinkled woman took several seconds to stare down at her leathery, scarred hands. "Are you aware of how many attempts there have been on the princess' life?"

Al shook his head. He had stopped one a few months ago, but who knew how many slipped under his radar? She continued to speak, ignoring him. "Eight since the last rainy season, and she hasn't told be about all of them. The Lady Chang has always tried not to worry me, or anybody else."

"I know," Al murmured. Mei practically sang the praises of her _nainai. _To her, this decrepit old woman was the most flawless person in all of Xing. She was the only connection Mei had to her mother, after all. The concubine of the Chang clan had been a woman with a personality too big for her tiny, sickly frame. Nainai was the last thread of any childhood Mei might have had.

"She is quite infatuated with you."

Al started, his mouth dropping open. "What?" he stammered, a blush rising in his cheeks.

"Under normal circumstances, it is high dishonor to marry a foreigner, especially not one of noble blood. But this is Mei, and she will never stand for that. If you wished to marry her, all you would ever have to do is ask."

He was dark red by now, and Nainai gave him a tiny smirk. Light footsteps echoed from the outer room, and Al knew immediately that Mei had returned.

"You make her feel safe, Alphonse Elric. That's very rare for Lady Chang. It's very precious."

"Nainai! Alphonse!" he heard a breathless, warm voice call. The footsteps got louder and Mei pushed back the screen, grinning. "Are you feeling better?"

Al nodded, sitting up again. He desperately hoped most of the heat had drained from his face, but a sideways glance at Nainai made him doubt that.

_All he had to do was ask_. Was it really that simple? He thought back to Ed and Winry and grinned, tucking Nainai's advice into the back of his mind.

"Good, because we need your help tomorrow too!" Mei smiled, turning on her heel and rushing out of sight. "I'll get you something to eat, Alphonse!"

Ignoring his splitting headache, Al stood and followed her down the hall. As Mei popped her head into the tiny kitchen and greeted the cook, Al wrapped his arms around Mei's waist. A small knife found its way to his neck as Mei whipped around, ready to strike. The relief was clear on her face and she tucked the knife back up her long, loose sleeve before brushing Al's hair out of his eyes.

"It's okay, Mei," he murmured, leaning down so his whisper tickled her ear. "Whenever I'm around, you can relax. I'll keep you safe."

Mei nearly responded bitingly, warning him that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, and she didn't need any sort of help doing so, but buried her face in his shirt instead. She knew it was a promise he could never keep, and the knives concealed in the folds of her clothing would never go away, but for a few sacred moments, she did not have to work to earn something she desperately craved.

**Woohoo! I finally finished one of the four unfinished Almei drabbles on my computer! Blame ClosetFMAFan. Her Almei set just ended and I'm not exactly sure what to do with my Almei feels now. Plus I owe her Almei. Not writing, drawing. But stupid writing muse is acting up without consent and art muse is slacking off. So she gets something to tide her over. **

**Almei is definitely one of my favorite pairings :3 **


	7. Almei Homecoming

"Daddy! Daddy!" cried a little boy, tearing his hand out of his mother's and bolting toward the golden-haired man stepping off the train. With a great shout, the man bent down and caught his son, lifting him up as if he weighed nothing at all and twirling him around, pressing his lips to the smaller forehead. Wide golden eyes looked up at him, and the boy latched on tighter.

"I missed you, buddy," Al murmured into his son's dark hair.

"…Yeah."

Al smiled and shifted the little boy to his hip, bending down to pick up his suitcase. "How's Mommy doing?" he whispered, making his way toward his wife and grinning like an idiot.

"Good. She missed you too."

"Alphonse Elric!" Mei chided, rising to her toes for a kiss, but stopping at an inch and smirking. "You are two days late."

"Shucks," he replied, closing the distance with a quick peck. "Blame Fuhrer Mustang."

The young woman grinned and leaned in for another, longer kiss. Nathaniel stuck his tongue out and shuddered, muttering as darkly as a five year old could. Al put his suitcase down and his now free hand on his wife's stomach, feeling tiny kicks against his palm. Far too many to be just one baby.

"Doctor say everything's okay?" he asked, breaking the kiss.

"All three of us are doing perfectly well, thank you very much," Mei said, smiling. "Let's get home."

Her tiny, slender hand slid into his large one, and she bent over carefully to pick up Al's old, battered suitcase.

"Mei!" he protested, "You're due any day now, you shouldn't go lifting heavy things!"

"I'll do it Mommy, I'll do it!" shouted Nathaniel, squirming in Al's grip. Mei sighed, squeezing Al's hand tighter.

"Stop worrying, Al. I'm fine."

The truth was, she was much more than fine. They made their way down the steps smiling ear to ear as Nathaniel recounted his day at Kindergarten, and neither Al nor Mei could imagine life any better than it was.

That was, of course, until a few days later when two new members of the family finally arrived.

**Posted this on my Mei rp blog a little while ago, totally forgot to do it here T_T Well, here ya go, guys! **

**Fluffy because Almei is always fluffy.**

**It's the law. **


	8. New Years

Her forgetfulness always struck at the most inopportune times. Frozen in the middle of the hallway, Mei groaned and stepped back into the wall, knocking the back of her head against it a few times for good measure. Why couldn't Amestris switch over to the lunar calendar, for god's sake? The one Amestrian New Year she had been in the west, she had spent in a gang of outlaws.

What luck she had.

Knowing the rudimentary grasp Al had on Xingese (having taught it to him herself), there was no doubt he had absolutely no idea what was going to happen over the next two weeks.

"You'd better hurry in getting your lover out of bed, meimei!" snickered Ling as he walked past, decked in rich, crimson robes. "You're going to miss the beginning of the fireworks if you don't!"

Heat rising in her cheeks, Mei lunged for the cocky young man. "You be quiet, Ling Yao! He's not my lover, and if you say one more word I'll tell Lanfan that you were responsible for the firecracker under old man Wu's chair!"

The emperor of Xing paled. "You wouldn't-"

A devilish smirk spread across her lips. "Oh, but you know I would. And Lanfan would not be very happy, would she?"

There was no more snickering from Ling, only narrowed, distrusting eyes. "If you took the time to find Lanfan in the chaos downstairs, you'd miss the fireworks for sure."

"Oh, just get on with your boring little party!"

Whistling filled the air, mocking Mei with every high-pitched note. Slowly, Ling's footsteps faded from her ears, and she sighed, mustered up her strength, and strode the few steps to Alphonse's room before she lost her nerve again. He certainly had looked exhausted at the last meal – maybe it was better to let him sleep and avoid provocation. Then again, he'd probably never forgive her if he missed such grand festivities. Her fist was clenched tightly, separated by the rich color of the door by only a few centimeters of heavy air.

"Alphonse?" she called, rapping on the thin frame quickly with much more confidence than she had.

A loud crash echoed in her ears, and Mei resisted the urge to throw the door open. The likelihood that Al was being attacked on the fourth floor in the second wing of the palace was somewhere between slim and nonexistent.

Sure enough, a bleary "One sec'," followed the unsettling crash, as well as the soft, even patter of feet making their way to the door.

When he had slid it only halfway, Mei realized with a pang of embarrassment that she was staring right at his bare chest.

"Sorry to disturb you, Alphonse, really I am, but the New Year starts today and I thought that you'd enjoy seeing the festivities and-"

"New year was last month, Mei. 'Member that Ed called and he and Win had a little too much to drink?" Al mumbled, rubbing his eye. Obviously still more than half asleep, the young blonde man was obviously hopelessly confused.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Mei hugged herself tightly. "Well, it's different in Xing, and it's my favorite time of year, and I didn't want to go alone so I thought…" she said, her voice dropping to a quiet murmur. The soft soles of her shoes hardly made any noise at all as she shuffled back a few steps. "I know you're tired, I'm sorry, this was selfish of me."

"'m coming, 'm coming," he protested, attempting to blink the sleep out of his eyes. "Let me change, I'll be ready in a minute!"

Relief washed over the little princess. Alphonse wasn't _too _mad about being woken up, at least. "Ah!" she exclaimed, her breath catching in her throat, "Alphonse! Remember to wear red!"

There was a muffled grunt from the other side of the door, and Al emerged a minute later in a crimson Xingese style jacket, pulling it down and fidgeting around in an attempt to get comfortable. Mei beamed – she had bought him that jacket several weeks ago at a bazaar in one of the many marketplaces in the capital.

"I'll go to the celebration on one condition, Mei," Al said, bending over and completely straight faced. Her smile shrank into puzzlement, and doubt began to creep into her mind. No, she trusted Alphonse with every fiber of her being – doubt had no place in her heart. He would never ask too much of her.

"You have to tie my belt for me," he finished, the corners of his mouth turning up into a smile. She giggled, snatching the length of white cloth and looping it around his waist.

"Deal."

The first firework popped and crackled in the distance. Mei jumped and her eyes grew wide in shock. "Oh no, we're missing it! Come _on, _Alphonse, hurry up!"

And so the new year began, chaotic and happy, as the couple raced through the halls of the palace and down into the streets of Xing, holding hands tightly to prevent losing each other. Late into the night, they found themselves on a dark, quiet hill and sat there, watching the last of the fireworks as they illuminated their faces in colorful bursts of light.

It didn't take long for Mei to realize that Al's deep, even breathing was truly sleep. Curled up next to him, she too dozed off until morning to the steady rhythm of her valiant knight's heart.

**Shoot, maybe I should write some Lingfan. **

…**But I love Almei goddammit**


	9. Calligraphy

**Happy (late) birthday, Closetfmafan! Lylas 3 To me you'll always be artyfan1.**

**I'm not even kidding though we're gonna be like eighty and I'll be like "remember than fanfiction site" and you'll be like "NO DUH YOUO STILL CALL ME ARTYFAN1 DUMDUM"**

Al woke to silence, the beginnings of morning filtering in weakly through the window above his bed. A small grunt accompanied the hand that crept up to his face, trying to wipe away the drowsiness. A thick layer of cotton seemed to shroud his brain, numbing the light and any commitment-

It was past dawn. Mei was going to be furious. He bolted upright, barely pausing to glance at himself in the mirror before grabbing a shirt that seemed to go with a pair of pants folded over a chair in the corner. Still buttoning his shirt, he nearly sprinted the distance to the courtyard where he had agreed to meet Mei the previous evening.

"Sorry, sorry, I overslept!" Al rushed, looking down to realize that he had in fact buttoned his shirt entirely wrong. He grumbled, muttered something about being just as bad as his brother, and set to fixing his shirt.

The young woman did not take her eyes off the horizon to look at her friend, nor did she flinch when she brought a cup to her lips and tipped it forward to drink. "Your tea's cold by now, Alphonse," she said, a mischievous tilt to her voice that Al did not expect to hear. "And you missed the sunrise. How on earth am I supposed to teach you alkahestry if you insist on being such a lazy bum?"

"Says the girl who refused to get up until noon yesterday," he teased, easing himself next to Mei, tea in hand. It was still plenty hot for his tastes, but the Xingese practically drank steam, so his opinion did not matter much.

"Much different. I did not have a calligraphy lesson to attend."

Al smirked, glancing at Mei. "Calligraphy? Haven't you already taught me how to write Xingese?"

Her head jerked sideways mid-sip, eyes widened. "You should certainly know that calligraphy isn't only about writing, Alphonse! It has rich history with my people as an art form, and I will not allow anyone to think it's the same as lines you make with a pen."

"Of course, of course," he amended, raising his hands in surrender. This seemed to happen all too often, little things that Xingese took extremely seriously and he didn't think twice before doing. Writing, sitting, bowing – there was a proper way to do everything and Al was a fish out of water.

"Now sit down, Alphonse!"

Al took a seat next to Mei, glancing briefly at the many calligraphy brushes laid out before him.

Brushes, paper, some sticks, a small stone, and no ink.

He glanced sideways at the young princess beside him at a loss. Having finished her tea, she seemed to be grinding the stick against the stone intently, eyes narrowed and lips pursed. Al debated abandoning the ancient Xingese art to watch her at work, but decided to break her concentration with more of his ignorance.

"Mei," he whispered, daring only the quietest voice. "Where's the ink?"

Her eyebrows rose and a slow smile spread across her face. "Waiting for you to make it, Alphonse."

"What?"

She picked up the stone slab and one of the sticks in front of him and set them in his hands, motioning toward the small cup of water near the brushes. "Add a little water to the well on the inkstone, then grind the inkstick against it. If the ink's too thick, it won't flow properly, but too thin and it will run."

Al began to miss the fountain pens back in Amestris. Sure, sometimes they leaked all over your shirt pocket or pooled all over the document you were writing, but at least the ink came _with _them. Nevertheless, he followed her instructions, fumbling with the inkstick before eventually gaining some sort of a rhythm.

Ages seemed to pass and the sun completed its ascent into the heavens, but there was hardly enough ink to pull the brush through one stroke.

"Mei," he whispered again as she finished the character, "I think I'm doing it wrong."

She giggled, setting down the brush and adjusting herself to face his inkstone. Brow furrowed, she placed her hand over his gently, using the other to add another few drops of water. At this point, Al felt he would jump any poor soul with a fountain pen. He was patient, sure, but he wasn't a saint.

Light, feathery lips brushed against his cheek, making him blush. Warm breath trailed from his cheek to his ear, a light whisper. "It's supposed to be relaxing, Alphonse. Stop being so tense."

He leaned forward to catch her lips, losing all interest in ancient Xingese art forms. After a second, Mei pulled back, smiling devilishly and returning to her own brush.

"Not yet."

Al snorted, feeling robbed. "Mean."

"I'm not going to reward you for a few squiggles on a page, dummy."

"What about an entire page of scribbles?" he asked, picking up the brush again and dipping it in the meager amount of ink. Mei rolled her eyes, but her smile stayed firm as she held back laughter.

"No."

**IT'S TECHNICALLY NOT LATE BECAUSE CLOSETFMAFAN'S BIRTHDAY WAS AFTER I FINISHED IT**

**I'M JUST SUPER BAD AT PUBLISHING STUFF.**


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